[The position of the mandibular canal in the edentulous jaw]

The mandibular canal retains its position in the toothless lower jaw, irrespective of the degree of atrophy. The firm point of reference remains the distance from the mandibular border, the lingual and the buccal outer cortex. In the region of the first molar the distance from the mandibular border amounts on the average to 7.3 mm, 2.5 mm from the lingual aspect and 4.9 mm from the buccal. In the region of the lateral teeth the absolute height of the lower jaw is 0-31.6% lower than in the middle of the lower jaw (Average value 13.7%).